Dream Lover
by EmpressVoodoo
Summary: Two of my favorite episodes were the ones with the succubus Karen. I've always liked Alex and thought she should have had more romantic/sexual storylines. So I turned the story around, and had Alex encounter an incubus.


Alex stretched and checked the time at the bottom of the computer screen.  
"11:03. Great, I should have this done at about 2 in the morning."  
Sighing, she reached for the next item to be catalogued, but instead of a  
crystal candlestick, she found a silver chain. Puzzled, she checked the list  
on the desk next to the computer screen.  
"Where did you come from?" She asked the necklace as she held it up for  
inspection. The thick silver chain held a large round stone encircled with  
diamonds. The stone was a deep red and seemed to give off a warm, radiant  
glow. She checked the list again. No necklace. No jewelry at all for that  
matter. How did it get in here? She wondered. The necklace glowed brighter.  
Mesmerized by the soft glow, Alex opened the chain and slipped the  
necklace over her head. It's not like anyone will know, she thought to  
herself. The glow rose to a blinding radiance, then everything went dark.

"Wake up my love."  
Alex stirred to the sound, but remained asleep.  
"Alex, I've come for you." The voice again. Alex stirred once more and  
opened her eyes. How did I get here, she thought. I don't remember coming to  
bed. She glanced around the room her eyes adjusting to the dim light in the  
room. In the doorway to her bedroom, wait, this wasn't her room, stood a  
dark figure.  
"Where am I?" she asked it.  
"Why, in bed of course." The voice answered, seeming as confused as Alex.  
"But this isn't my room."  
"This is your fantasy."  
Alex looked around again. The dim light in the room came from two large  
candles on pillars at both sides of the top of the bed. A light, silky  
canopy surrounded the bed, shimmering in the glow of the candles. The sheets  
beneath and around her were also silken. The carpet was plush, the color a  
deep red, the red of the pendant. Remembering the pendant, Alex put her hand  
to her chest and felt it there, warm and surprisingly light.  
"How did I get here? Who are you?" she asked, a slight edge of panic mixing  
with the confusion in her voice.  
"I brought you here." The figure replied. "And I am your fantasy." With  
these words, the figured moved from the darkness of the doorway and into the  
light of the candles. He was the most beautiful man Alex had ever seen.

He was also nude.

His skin was the color of burnt caramel and completely flawless. He was taut and toned, but not bulky. His eyes were the color of deep milk chocolate and his long black hair, which hung just past his chest, fell across his face as he crawled into the bed next to Alex. It was only when he lifted the sheets up that Alex realized she too was nude. Conflicting thoughts filled her head. Part of her felt she should be afraid because she didn't know this man or this room, or how she had gotten here. Another part was breathless with the anticipation of what was coming. That part quickly took over as he traced a finger over right breast.

"Where did you come from?" she moaned, as his finger continued circling her breast.

He brought his other hand to her forehead and brushed her hair aside. "Here." Then the finger moved to her left breast, above her heart. "And here." Then his mouth closed over hers before she could speak again. He rolled over until he was on top of her, his mouth never leaving hers. His hands moved down the sides of her body, and Alex felt herself melt into the sheets. Then he slipped inside her and the amulet blazed, the deep red pulsing to each thrust and lift. And just when Alex thought she might explode from sheer pleasure, the light took on a blinding luminescence and again darkness came.

The buzz of the alarm clock woke her, and she rolled to her side and hit the off button. She lay there for a minute, savoring the memory of her dream.

"I work way too much." She said to herself as she stretched languidly and began to rise.

A wave of dizziness hit, and she sat back, eyes closed and hands gripping the sheets. Alex took a few deep breaths to center her, and then opened her eyes. She made a tentative move to rise, and when the dizziness did not return, she stood up. That was some dream, she thought as headed into the bathroom to shower. On her nightstand, the amulet flashed.

The demon hated Selena. Not in his entire life, 600 plus years, had any incubus ever been captured. Not until he made the mistake of visiting one of her dreams 10 years ago. She was the most powerful witch he had ever encountered. And the most vindictive. He had spent the better part of his incarceration pleasuring her and anyone else at her leisure. When she had no use for him, he was banished into the amulet, which until a week ago, hung from her graceful neck. The neck he would like to break.

"Well?" she demanded.

"I did as you bade." He answered. "I seduced the psychic one."

Selena's full lips broke into a wide smile. "Good. Does she realize what you are?"

"No." he replied. "She believes it was a dream."

The smile vanished. "A dream that will soon become a nightmare, when I have taken her gift and made it my own." The smile returned. "And once I have that, you may take her life. Alex Moreau will pay for what she has done to me."

The demon nodded, then vanished in a bright flash of red light, exiled to the amulet once again.

By the time Alex walked into the library, the morning meeting had already started.

"You're running late this morning." Derek remarked. "Anything wrong?"

"I had a bit of a dizzy spell." She answered, taking her seat at the table.

Rachel gave her a concerned look. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I think I just sat up too fast."

Derek took his seat. "Well if everything is okay, let's get to work. Where are you with the cataloging of the Orsini items?"

Alex flinched slightly at the name. Selena Orsini was one of the most powerful dark witches they'd ever encountered. She had literally been draining the life, and in most cases, special abilities, out of people. They had searched through Legacy journals and books to no avail. Ironically, it was in Rachel's Aunt Rebecca's Book of Shadows where they had found the spell that finally brought her down. But it had almost cost Alex her life.

Derek noticed her discomfort. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. It's still a little fresh, that's all. I got through most of it then…she flashed to the necklace and the dream.

"Then what?" He asked.

"I fell asleep. I guess I was working a little too hard."

"Burning the midnight oil?" Nick teased.

Again, she flashed to the dream. "Definitely burning something." She answered under her breath.

Derek turned to Kristin. "Anything new on the haunting at St. Simon's?"

She looked up from her paperwork. "They're doing some renovating in the cloisters, and found bones underneath one of them. Some clothing remnants at the site identifies our "John Doe" as a priest, but no one who is currently there knows of any who have gone missing. A forensic anthropologist is currently examining them so we can pinpoint approximately how old the bones are and we can do a search of priests serving around that time to see if we can identify him."

"Very good. How about that possession case, Rachel?"

"No possession at all. Victim is a schizophrenic with a rigidly religious upbringing. The voices he was hearing were all part of his particular delusion."

Derek rose from his chair. "Sounds like everything is moving along. I guess we should too."

Alex got up and headed out of the library. Kristin called to her. "Alex, wait!"

She turned around. Kristin approached, something clutched in her right hand.

"I know the Sight is not something you turn on and off, but I was wondering if you would hold this and see if you can get anything from it." She held out a small piece of black cloth. "It's from the skeleton."

"I don't know if I'll get anything but I'll give it a try." Alex took the cloth from her and folded her fingers over it. She felt the familiar tingle that came just before a vision, started to get a picture…then another wave of dizziness hit and the vision stopped. Kristen grabbed her arm as she stumbled.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. That was strange, I started to get a vision, but it never fully hit, then I started to feel woozy."

Kristen listened, concern in her eyes. "Maybe you need some more time off. That was a pretty harrowing experience you had. You might be pushing yourself a little too hard coming back this soon."

Alex shook her head. "No. I need to work. If I sit around all I do is think about it." Seeing the worry on the other woman's face, she added, "But I think I'll quit a little early tonight and get some more rest. Sorry I wasn't able to help."

"That's okay. I guess I'll just have to wait for the anthropologist's report. See you later."

"Bye." Alex headed for the staircase. What is wrong with me, she wondered. First the blackout, then the dream and now this? Maybe Kristin is right, maybe I am pushing myself too hard. She made a resolution to quit early tonight, take a relaxing bath, and read something other than ledgers, journals and ancient texts.

Selena held the glove in her hand. She felt a tingling sensation, saw a flash of, something, then it was gone. Her lips curved into a smile, it was working. Just a few more visits from the incubus and Alex Moreau's gift would be hers, then her life would be over. Walking across the room, she gazed at herself in the mirror. The burns were healing, though slowly. Her mind drifted back….

She thought she had been careful. She didn't know anyone knew what she had been doing. She certainly didn't realize the Legacy was on to her. When the Moreau bitch and her colleague Rachel Corrigan had visited, under the guise of belonging to the Luna Foundation, asking questions about the missing girl, she assumed it was because she was a neighbor. Not that she had been found out, and their visit was merely a ruse to get into her home and verify their suspicions. She thought she had come off as the politely concerned neighbor; no, she didn't know of anyone Gina had been having problems with, such a terrible tragedy, who would have done such a thing. Ironically, it was the demon that tried to warn her, but she didn't heed him. When they returned two days later, she wished she had. Moreau had burst in, accusing Selena of witchcraft and killing Gina, telling her it was over, she would hurt no one else. Selena was so shocked, she almost laughed. Stop her? Who did this impudent bitch think she was? It was then she saw the paper in her hands, and heard the words she was reciting. A spell.

Selena quickly began an incantation of her own, a spell for astral travel, followed by one for invisibility. Once she had escaped the house unnoticed, she started casting in earnest. Her first spell sent Alex flying back into the wall. The Corrigan woman had gone running to her, checking to see if she was all right. Selena thought for sure she'd had them. Then Corrigan had picked up the paper to continue the incantation, but Alex had gotten up, grabbed it out of her hand, and read. The next thing Selena knew flames surrounded her astral body. Being a considerable distance away, she should have been safe. Then she felt the burning. And she was screaming. In her mind she recited the incantation to rejoin her astral body to her physical one. The burning had stopped, but the pain remained. Fortunately, the other women had mistaken the disappearance of her astral self for her death.

She glanced at herself in the mirror again, the anger welling up inside her. She had been smug, assuming they could not defeat her, that the magic they used was inferior. She would not make that mistake again. And soon, Alexandria Moreau would make no mistakes again. Ever.

"I'm back my love."

Alex stirred at the voice and felt the mattress shift. Her eyelids fluttered a moment, and then she opened them. The room glowed with the crimson light of the amulet, which lay between her naked breasts, where the book she was reading had been when she fell asleep. She felt warm flesh pressed against her side and turned her head to see him lying next to her. "What is your name?" she asked in a breathy tone.

"Does it matter?" He replied, bringing his lips to the nape of her neck. Alex moaned and her mind clouded. It seemed like it should matter, but as he took her again in the blaze of light and passion, she found she didn't care.

Again the alarm clock woke her. Rolling over to hit the off button, she knocked the book from her chest, which was covered by the nightgown she'd put on last night. Remembering the previous nights dream, she said to herself, "I have got to get a life." Sitting up, she was again assailed by a wave of dizziness and nausea. Lying back down, she closed her eyes and began taking deep breaths. A few moments later she opened her eyes. The room was no longer spinning. "What is happening to me?" she whispered aloud. She sat up again throwing her legs over the side of the bed. She spied the amulet lying benignly on the nightstand. Reaching over, she picked it up and let it dangle before her face. "All this started happening when I discovered you. Coincidence? Could be, but then I've never believed in coincidence." She studied it thoughtfully. Then something occurred to her. Could the amulet be cursed? Selena was a witch, maybe she cast some kind of spell on this so that whoever wore it would be weakened somehow. Okay, she thought, that explains the dizzy spells, but what about the dreams? How are they involved? Alex decided her number one priority for the day would be to do a search on spells and curses to see if she could find out what was really going on.

When Derek walked into the control room, he saw a very frustrated Alex sitting at one of the computers. "Something wrong?" he asked.

Not yet ready to share what was happening, Alex replied. "Just having some difficulties getting the last of the Orsini items catalogued."

"Perhaps I can help." Derek moved toward Alex and the computer. Hurriedly Alex minimized the site she had pulled up and when Derek came up next to her, he saw the list of items taken from the Orsini home. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I think it's just user error." Alex replied, shutting down the program. "Maybe I'll take a little break and come back to it later. She rose to leave and as she passed him, Derek touched her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Derek gave her a look that said he wasn't convinced, and then let it go.  
"Kristen said she asked you for help in the St. Simons case."

"Yes, but I'm afraid I wasn't much help."

"Neither was I. I got some flashes but nothing I can make sense of. I was wondering if you'd be willing to try again. Maybe between the two of us we can figure it out."

Alex sighed. "Alright, but I can't make any promises." Derek raised his hand and offered the same scrap of material Kristen had shown her yesterday. She took it and closed it in her hands. The familiar tingle came, but before the vision hit, the dizziness came, and this time it brought a searing pain along with it. Alex screamed, feeling as though her skull was going to explode. She felt Derek's arms around her and heard him call her name. She looked down at his arms and saw bright drops of red. Blood. Her blood. She felt the wetness above her lips. Then everything went black.

"I've given her a pain reliever with a sedative. She should sleep for a few hours." Rachel said as she stood up from the side of the bed and walked toward Derek. "What happened?"

"I don't know." he replied. "I asked her to see if she could get any images from the St. Simon's cloth, and when she touched it, she began screaming and then she fainted."

"I'll stay here tonight to monitor her condition." Rachel glanced over to the sleeping Alex. "But we need to find out what caused this."

" I agree. Let's go to the control room and see what we can find." Derek started toward the door, when a glint of silver from the nightstand caught his eye. He moved toward it. When he reached it, he saw the amulet and picked it up. The images started coming...Selena Orsini, badly burnt, running from her house...Alex picking up the amulet from the control room table...Alex and a strange man in a passionate embrace...

"Derek, what is it?" Rachel asked coming up behind him.

"I'm not sure, but I think this may be the key to finding out what is happening to Alex." Clutching it tight in his hand, he headed toward the control room.

****************

"That's impossible." Rachel argued. "Selena Orsini is dead. I saw her die with my own eyes."

"Are you sure?" Derek countered. "You saw her vanish, but there was no body. Can you be sure she didn't survive the fire?"

Rachel hesitated a moment. "Okay, not absolutely sure, but there is a very slim chance. And if she did, she'd be badly hurt. She would have needed a doctor."

Derek slid in front of one of the computers. "Let's see if any of the local hospitals treated a female burn victim with 24 hours of the incident." He typed some information into the computer and a list of the area hospitals came up. "Which hospital is the closest to Orsini's home?" he asked Rachel.

"San Fransisco General."

He hit another set of keys, and a patient list popped on the screen. "We have 4 women in labor, one domestic violence victim, 3 rape victims, and a broken arm. No women were admitted for burns in that time period." For the next 15 minutes they searched records for the other local hospitals and found no record of a woman being treated for burns.

"I don't get it." Rachel said, frustration rising in her voice. "She would have been covered head to toe in 3rd degree burns. There is no way she could have survived if she didn't seek treatment."

"Maybe she did." Derek answered.

"We just searched the local hospitals Derek, none of them treated a burn victim that night or the day after."

"Selena is a witch. Perhaps she knew of some spell or some magical remedy, or knew of someone who did."

Rachel's eyes lit up. "Yes. Of course! What better way to throw the Legacy off her trail than to convince us she died. But it doesn't explain how she could be hurting Alex. We have every kind of safeguard imaginable here. There is no way she could get in here without us knowing."

"Maybe it isn't her. At least not directly. She had to know if we did manage to somehow stop her, that we would take possession of her belongings." With this statement, he held up the amulet. "I've checked the original items list, the one submitted by the Legacy members who removed the items from the home. This is not on that list."

"You think she got it in here somehow, knowing Alex would do the cataloging?"

"It stands to reason." Derek answered. "The question is, what did she do to this amulet, and what is it doing to Alex?"

******************

From his prison within the amulet, the demon listened to Rachel and Derek's conversation. They were close to discovering the truth. A small part of him smiled. He could not wait to see that bitch Selena go down. Another part was afraid. What if they managed to subdue or even kill Selena while he was still trapped in the amulet? He would not spend eternity in this accursed place. As the two legacy members set about trying to discover the secret to the amulet, he began to formulate his plan on how he would escape it.

"Alex my love, wake up."

Alex stirred, moaned and continued sleeping. Damn, the demon thought, the sedative is too strong; I can't get into her mind. While he stood there by the bed trying to figure out his next move, the door to the bedroom swung open and Rachel appeared.

"Just checking to s..." When she saw him she stopped short. "Who are you, what are you doing here? DEREK!" The demon moved toward her. "Stay back!" she shouted as she moved away. Derek came through the door and marched toward the demon. With a flick of his hand, the demon sent Derek flying back into the wall. Rachel ran over and kneeled beside him. "Derek, are you alright?"

Wincing he sat up. "Yes." He glared at the demon. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The demon glared back. "In the amulet."

Rachel gave him an incredulous look. "You live in there?"

He gave her a sardonic look. "I wouldn't call it living."

Derek rose slowly to his feet. "What are you?"

"I am an incubus." The demon replied, spreading is arms indicating his naked body, as if it should be obvious.

Derek's eyes focused on Alex, who despite the commotion was still sleeping soundly. "You." He turned back toward the demon. "You did this to her."

"Yes."

Rachel moved to stand by Derek. "Why? Why Alex?"

"I was commanded to." There was a tinge of anger in his voice.

"By who?" Derek demanded.

Venom filled his voice as the demon spat out the words. "By the bitch that trapped me within the amulet, Selena Orsini."

Rachel's eyes widened. She looked at Derek. "She is still alive."

"Very much so." The demon answered. "And filled with vengeance toward this one." He pointed to Alex. "She was using me to drain her of her ability and her life, just as she has since she trapped me."

Derek spoke to Rachel, his eyes still on the demon. "Check Alex. Make sure everything is okay." Rachel moved toward Alex's sleeping form. "Why are you telling us this? Surely you know who we are and where you are?"

"Because I have a proposition for you."

"I don't make deals with the devil."

The demon laughed. "I am hardly that, but I am flattered by the comparison. Before you turn me down know this, as long as I am trapped within that amulet, I am under Selena's control, and I will finish what she ordered me to do."

Rachel looked up from the bed. "Meaning you'll kill Alex."

"Yes." the answer was matter-of-fact, devoid of any emotion.

Derek stole another glance at the sleeping Alex. "Very well. What's your proposition?"

The demon smiled. "I give you Selena Orsini, you give me my freedom."

"Before we can do that, we must know how she trapped you there."

"I will get you her Book of Shadows, the spell to catch as well as release me lie within its pages."

Derek gave him a skeptical look. "How do we know that after you're released you won't still kill Alex, as well as the rest of us?"

"I give you my word."

Derek gave a sardonic grin. "The word of a demon? You truly expect us to trust it?"

The demon returned the grin. "Do you really have a choice?" Before Derek could answer, he disappeared in a flash of red light. Rachel jumped up from the side of the bed. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know." Derek replied. "But we have to find out all we can about incubi and how to destroy them before he returns."

**************

Suddenly, the demon found himself facing Selena. "Well, she asked, "is it done?"

"Not yet."

Her face contorted with anger. "Why not?"

"She collapsed after my last visit, and the doctor has her on sedatives. I could not get into her mind."

"Damn it!" Selena roared, pacing around the room. "I want that bitch dead for what she did to me!"  
Catching her movement in the mirror, she turned and looked at her reflection. She was perfectly healed now, and perfectly angry. She looked toward the demon. She needed someway to work the anger off. She walked seductively towards him. "Since you weren't able to complete the task with Moreau, you can complete it with me." She smiled, running a finger down his bare chest. "It's been a long time...

The demon watched Selena, eyes burning with rage. The sweat had yet to cool from their bodies and he could see from the rhythmic movement of her chest she was already asleep. He'd taken her roughly. She enjoyed the pain. In the dim light he could see bruises forming on her creamy skin. Carefully he rose from the bed. Moving silently, he approached the door to the closet, her altar room. Slipping inside he closed the door with a quiet click. He held his left hand up, palm upward and a small ball of light appeared. He could see her Book of Shadows, lying on the altar in the middle of the small room. Moving toward it, he grabbed the book and doused the light. He was so close to freedom, he could practically taste it. The rage swelled up in him anew as he thought about the way Selena had controlled and used him. This time would be the last. A smile curved his lips as he thought of the pleasure he would take in stripping Selena of her powers and then her life. Then he thought of the Moreau woman. If pity were part of his emotional repertoire, he supposed he would feel it for her. After all, it was only because of Selena he had sought her. But the power he felt surge through him when he was with her...he couldn't just let that go. Of course, her fellow Legacy members would not just allow him to continue his work.  
Which meant they would have to die too...after they had freed him, of course.

Derek and Rachel stared intently at the screen as it displayed the information from the search Derek entered. "Well," Derek said, "it looks as though our options are limited. Incubi were mistakenly believed to be fallen angels, which, because of the sepulchers, we now know they are not. The other theory of their origin is that they are spirits who have made pacts with the dark side in order to continue living and experience carnal pleasure, and their offspring."

"Okay, so which one are we dealing with here, the original demon or it's offspring?" Rachel asked.

"According to Legacy records, full incubi, the spirits who have turned, are immune to the power of witches." Derek said, reading through the article. "So the one we're dealing with must be the offspring of one."

"So how do we stop him?"

"The text says we must find a witch, descended from the same line and have her sever the tie between them."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Rachel asked. Exasperated, she stood and began pacing the room. "We know nothing about this demon. How old he is, what demon fathered him. We don't even know his name!"

Derek scrolled down the page. "We need a spell. One that will summon a witch with a blood tie to the demon."

"Where do we find it?"

"Do you still have your Aunt Rebecca's Book of Shadows?"

Rachel looked at him quizzically. "Yes."

"We'll check there first. If we can't find one, we'll have to search the Legacy archives. Someone, somewhere at some time had to have created and used such a spell."

Bright red light lit the control room, and the demon appeared, the book in his arms "I am back."

Phoebe gasped as the premonition hit her...an island off the coast, a large castle-like mansion, a beautiful black woman, a gorgeous black man, and angry female warlock and a red amulet, the man with the woman, sucking the life from her..a demon, the warlock laughing, the man disappearing into the amulet. Two other people, a man and a woman, the demon killing them...

"Phoebe? Phoebe!" Paige asked as she shook her back into the present. "What did you see?"

"A demon killing three innocents."

"Where?"

"An island, off the coast of California."

Paige gave her a confused look. "Alcatraz?"

"No. This was like a private island with a large mansion, it looked like a castle. We need to get home and check the Book of Shadows."

"So much for a girl's day out." Paige sighed as she took Phoebe's hand and they orbed back to the manor.

*************************************  
"Okay, just two more minutes." Piper said to no one in particular, as  
she stared into the oven through the glass. "Two minutes and I'll  
have the perfect upside down cake."  
To ensure this, she sent Leo out with Wyatt, and Paige and Phoebe  
out on a shopping trip. She straightened up, crossing her fingers and  
turned to check her frosting once again, but was interceded by the  
shiny blue lights that signaled an incoming whitelighter. Two seconds  
later, she found herself face to face with her sisters.  
"Oh no, no no no, you're not supposed to be here, you're supposed to  
be out shopping! I only have two minutes left on my upside down cake  
and it will not fall, do you understand me?"  
Paige gave a small shoulder shrug. "Sorry, Phoebe had a premonition  
and wanted to get back to the Book."  
The frustration clear on her face, Piper turned on her other  
sister. "No, you didn't have a premonition, there are no premonitions  
while I am baking. This needs to be perfect and I can't have perfect  
if there are premonitions!"  
Paige rolled her eyes at her older sister, dropping the two loaded  
shopping bags she held to the floor. "Its Daryl's birthday, not a  
presidential dinner. You could buy his cake from the supermarket, he  
wouldn't care."  
Piper glared at her. "Okay, guys enough!" This from Phoebe. "Three  
innocents are going to die if we don't get to the Book of Shadows and  
figure out what demon is after them. Paige can orb us up to the attic  
so we don't upset the delicate balance of the kitchen." She grabbed a  
sister with each hand, and nodded to Paige. In a blink they were in  
the attic.  
Phoebe sprinted towards the stand that held the Halliwell's legacy of  
magic, and began to frantically flip through its pages. Piper, still  
miffed at having her baking disrupted, followed.  
"Do you have any idea who these people were, or why the demon wanted  
to kill them?"  
Still flipping pages, Phoebe responded. "There was a red amulet in my  
vision and the demon disappeared into it. I think our innocents are  
holding him prisoner in it, maybe, I'm not sure. But I am sure his  
killing them had something to do with escaping it."  
Paige approached them and stood on the opposite side of the  
stand. "Do you remember what the demon looked like?"  
"He looked human. He was African-American and he was…" She trailed  
off.  
Piper made a continue motion with her hand. "'And he was what?'"  
Phoebe looked up from the book, both sisters staring intently at  
her. "He was naked."  
Piper shook her head. "Naked? As in no clothing naked?"  
"As in buck naked." Answered Phoebe.  
Paige began a slow pacing around the attic. "So" she began, "a naked  
demon is going to kill three people in a castle on an island of the  
coast of California? Are you sure this was a premonition and not a  
flashback to a late night Cinemax movie?"  
In answer, she received two sardonic glares. "Just asking." She  
replied with equal sarcasm.  
Phoebe continued her search through the book. "Aha!" She exclaimed  
after a few pages. "Here he is." Paige rushed over to view the page  
with her sisters. Phoebe began reading. "An incubus, a male demon who  
takes the form of a human man to seduce human women and drain their  
life energy. Well, that might explain his lack of clothing."  
"But that doesn't explain his killing the people in your  
premonition." Piper said. "Unless of course you saw him seduce them  
to death. Does it say how to vanquish him?"  
Phoebe continued reading. "It says we need blood from the witch whose  
line he descends from."  
Now it was Paige's turn to shake her head. "'The witch whose line he  
descends from?'"  
Phoebe nodded. "According to this, the first incubi were the spirits  
of men who made deals with the dark side in order to continue to live  
and enjoy the carnal knowledge of women. Of course because the pact  
was with the dark side, there was a catch. In order to sustain their  
immortality, incubi need to drain the life from the women they  
seduce."  
"So basically," Paige said, "we're looking for a supernatural gigolo.  
Great, we'll just hit a few bars, sidle up to the guys and ask `hey  
handsome, suck the life force out of anyone lately?'"  
This earned her another glare from her sisters. "We need to go to  
that castle and warn those people about the demon." Phoebe said as  
she closed the book.  
Piper shook her head vehemently. "No, `we' do not have to. I am  
baking remember?" She glanced at her watch. "Oh no, it's now been  
five minutes. My cake!" She dashed out of the attic.  
Phoebe glanced at Paige. "I guess it's just you and me, kid."  
"Ha-ha." She responded dryly. "So where is this island."  
"Off the coast of San Francisco, out past Alcatraz."  
"Okay, but if we end up in the bay, don't blame me." Paige reached  
for her sister's hand and they vanished in a sparkle of blue lights.  
In their haste to leave, none of the sisters noticed the scroll that  
had fallen to the floor from a shelf on the attic wall, the Halliwell  
family tree. Written on the bottom of the partially unrolled  
parchment was a wedding date and two names, "Miriam Halliwell and  
Joshua Cantwell, married Sept 6th 1935."

Derek and Rachel sat at the large table in the library, reading  
everything they could find on incubi. Everything they found told them  
the same thing; in order to destroy the demon, they needed to find a  
witch from his bloodline. Tired and frustrated, Derek rubbed his  
burning eyes.

"This is useless, we need to see if we can find anything that will  
tell us the demon's bloodline."

"But we don't know his name or when he was born, how are we supposed  
to find it?" An equally tired and irritated Rachel responded. "How  
long before the demon returns, do you think?"

"I don't know, but there must be something here that will tell us  
what we need to know, and we need to find it before he does return."  
He slammed the book in front of him closed, pushed away from the  
table and stood. As he began to approach the bookshelves, a sparkling  
blue light appeared from the end of the table. Rachel stood and  
rushed to his side. Together they watched, weary yet fascinated as  
the light faded and in its place stood two young women, both dark-  
haired and brown eyed. The shorter of the two gave a wide,  
uncomfortable smile and waved to the two shocked Legacy members.

Phoebe flashed a wide smile toward the stunned Legacy members.  
"Paige," she said through her teeth, "you were supposed to get us onto the island, not into the house."  
Through the teeth of her own wide smile Paige replied. "Soo-rry! It isn't like I had a map or anything. "  
Recovered from the shock, Derek strode down the right side of the library table. "Who are you? Why are you here."  
Phoebe took a step back, raising her arms in a defensive posture. "Whoa, wait! Wait! We're here to help."  
"How do you know we need help?"  
Phoebe placed a hand on her chest. "I'm Phoebe Haliwell and this is my sister Paige Matthews." She pointed toward Paige. "We're witches."  
Rachel who had maintained a stunned silence to this point, gave the two women a quick once-over. Phoebe in her white peasant crop top and jeans, and Paige in her V-neck red T-Shirt and mini-skirt and gave a derisive snort. Paige returned an equally sarcastic glare.  
"What? You were expecting pointy hats and warts?"  
Rachel looked down sheepishly. "Sorry. If you'd seen the last witch I met, you'd understand."  
"Sounds like she needed a good dermatologist."  
Rachel smiled, her initial mistrust fading.  
Derek however was not yet convinced. "How do we know you weren't sent here to kill us?"  
Phoebe marched up to him raised her head and stared straight into his eyes.  
"Are you a demon?"  
"Of course not!" came his vehement reply.  
"Then you have nothing to fear from us. As for how we know you need help, I had a premonition of a demon killing you. Both of you." She added nodding toward Rachel. "And a pretty black woman."  
"Alex." Rachel said, nodding.  
"You have visions?" Derek asked.  
"Yep." replied Phoebe. "I can levitate too."  
Derek's eyes widened in amazement. He looked over at Paige. "You do these things as well?"  
"No. I can move things with my mind and orb."  
"Orb?"  
"It's how we got here."  
"So, you are sisters and witches but don't share the same powers?" He looked at Rachel. "All Legacy records I have studied regarding witches state they can all perform the same magic and are in league with the Dark Side."  
"Sounds like the records need updating." She replied.  
Phoebe linked her arm through Derek's. "How about you fix us something to eat, and I'll give you the skinny on what witches are really about."

*******************************************

Later, after an animated meal, with Phoebe and Paige demonstrating their various abilities, Rachel and Paige went to the computer room to continue the research on incubus demons, and Phoebe and Derek returned to the library to continue the discussion on witches.  
"So, powers run through the family bloodlines, and each witch has different abililites?" He asked, scribbling furiously in his journal.  
"All witches have the ability to cast spells, scry and make potions, but each has their own special power."  
"And you and your sisters,the 'Charmed Ones', your arrival was prophecised over three hundred years ago?"  
Phoebe nodded. "By our ancestor Melinda Warren. She gave the prophecy as she was being burned on the stake."  
Derek looked up from his journal, a cloud of guilt covering his face.  
" I feel I owe you an apology. Thousands of innocents lost their lives because of our fear and ignorance, when we should have been the voice of reason."  
Phoebe offered a slight smile. "No apologies necessary. You were not a persecutor, and I was not persecuted, so that's that."  
Derek returned the smile. "I suppose I've picked your brain enough for one day. Let's say we help Rachel and your sister."  
"Sounds good to me."  
They pushed out their chairs and stood. As they turned and started toward the library door, a burst of bright red light froze them in place, then the demon appeared. His arms, clasped across his chest contained a large, leather bound book. He bowed toward Derek.  
"I take it this is our incubus?" Phoebe whispered, giving the demon an appreciative stare, in spite of herself. Derek nodded. The demon proffered the book to him.  
"I have returned with the book as promised." His gaze slid to Phoebe, as if he just realized she was standing there. "Who is this?"  
"A Legacy associate. A witch who is here to help us study this book and to free you."  
The demon smirked. "A witch? You want me to trust a witch? A witch is the reason I was trapped to begin with."  
"Yes." Replied Phoebe. "And a witch is needed to help free you. A spell trapped you and a spell is needed to release you, and only a witch can perform one."  
The demon studied her a few moments. "You are very powerful. I can feel it radiating off you." His flacid penis began to rise.  
"Whoa pal!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Don't get any ideas. I'm here to help free you. You can 'find release' somewhere else."  
"This is my physiological response to intense power."  
"Well, you and your 'physiological response' need to take a cold shower."  
The demon chuckled, then looked to Derek. "When you have discovered the way to free me, you can summon me with the amulet." With that, he was gone.  
"Not much on conversation is he?" Phoebe asked.  
"No." Derek replied. "But in his line of work, I don't think the ability is required."  
Again linking her arm through Derek's, Phoebe pulled him toward the door. "We have a new resource." She said. "Let's go show it to the others."

**********************************************

Strange images plagued Alex's dreams. The amulet. The beautiful stranger making love to her. Selena Orsini on fire. And three women she didn't recognize. It was in this haze of images, that she heard him again.  
"Alex. Alex, my love, can you hear me?"  
Her eyes popped open. Still groggy from the sedative, she turned her head slowly to the right side of the bed. He stood there, naked and gorgeous, his hand outstretched.  
"You came back."  
"Yes. I will always come. Take my hand, my love, and we will go somewhere amazing, where we can be alone and make love all day."  
Slowly, she pulled her hand out from underneath the blanket and reached for his.

Weary, Kristen slowly climbed the stairs. The day had been a disaster. She'd been brimming with confidence when she'd arrived at St. Simon's, armed with the information Derek had given her, believing she could induce the ghost to cross over. But, convinced he would burn in eternal hellfire for breaking his vow of chastity with a young congregate, he steadfastly refused to move into the light, and after hours of unsuccessful negotiation, she came back to the house, tired and irritated. She hated leaving with the case unresolved, but as Scarlett said in Gone With the Wind, "Tomorrow is another day." As she reached the top of the stairs and turned toward her room, she heard a voice from Alex's room. A man's voice. One that didn't belong to Nick or Derek. Quietly, she crept toward Alex's partially open door, peeked in a gasped. Standing above an obviously groggy Alex in her bed, was a naked man, his hand outstretched to her. She was reaching toward it, when Kristen burst into the room. "Who are you? How did you get in here?" She demanded. The demon responded with a small flick of his wrist, throwing her against the wall. The breath knocked out of her, Kristen watched in horror as he again extended his hand to Alex. "No!" She screamed, and with a sudden burst of adrenalin, rushed the demon, grabbing a fistful of his long hair. But she was not quick enough. In the same instant, their hands met, and in a burst of crimson light that sent Kristen flying again, they vanished. ******************************** Across the hallway, Derek and Phoebe, seeing the flash and hearing the subsequent thud, raced toward Alex's room. The first thing Derek saw upon entering, were the rumpled bed sheets where Alex no longer lay. Then they heard the moaning, and turned to see Kristen slumped against the wall across from the empty bed. Derek rushed over and crouched before her limp form. "Kristen?" He placed his hands on both sides of her face. "Are you alright? What happened?"Her eyelids fluttered a moment, then opened. "Derek?" "Yes, it's me. How are you feeling?" "Like someone threw me into a wall." She replied with a wan smile. "Tell me what happened." "I was headed toward my room when I heard a man's voice in here that I didn't recognize. I crept to the door to look in and saw a naked man reaching for Alex. I ran in, demanding he tell me who he was, then he raised his arm and knocked me back into the wall. After I caught my breath, I ran at him, but then this bright light appeared, I was knocked into the wall again, and they were gone." During this recitation Phoebe had crouched next to Derek. "Looks like he wanted some insurance." "Or to finish draining Alex." Derek replied soberly. Phoebe shook her head. "He won't kill her. He knows we won't release him if he does. But he wants to make sure we keep our end of the bargain." Derek nodded his consent. "Help me move her onto the bed. I'll get Rachel to look her over and make sure she's alright." They picked Kristen up, one on each side, and carried her over to Alex's bed. Derek left and returned a few minutes later with a worried Rachel and a puzzled Paige. Rachel moved to the side of the bed, sat down and began examining Kristen. "What happened?" Paige asked Phoebe. "All Derek told us was that Alex was missing, and this Kristen was hurt." "The demon apparently doesn't trust us. It looks like he took Alex hostage to ensure we keep our end of the deal." Paige sighed and folded her arms. "Great. That's going to make vanquishing him much easier." Rachel stood up. "Well, there's no sign of concussion, thank God, but I'm going to give her something for the pain, and have her rest." "Let's get back to the computer room." Derek said. "We need to make sure we're prepared for when the demon returns." ********************************** "Well." Phoebe sighed, after an hour of intense searching. "It looks like our only bet is to discover the demon's bloodline and find a witch with the same bloodline to vanquish him using a potion made with some of his or her blood."

"Any ideas on how we do that?" Rachel asked. "Something tells me the incubus won't forthcoming with any of this information."

"We need to get something from him with DNA or blood. And for that we'll need the Power of Three. Paige, go grab Piper." In a sparkle of blue lights, Paige disappeared.

"Will this work?" came a voice from behind.

The three remaining researchers jumped at the unexpected sound. Then whirled around to see a pale Kristen standing just inside the doorway, her right hand raised to chest level and extended. From it hung several long dark hairs.

An hour later the entire group met in the library, the three legacy members and the three Charmed ones, including a very put-out Piper, who was none to happy to be torn away from her carefully planned birthday dinner. Darryl of course took it with his usual aplomb, wishing them luck and leaving with a full doggie bag. The sisters stood together at the end of the table, potion bottle and a blank scroll laid out in front of them on the table, with some of the demons hair included. Phoebe stood in the center a small piece of paper in her hand.

"Okay, so we say the spell, and we should get a family tree, starting with our demon, and ending with his most recent descendant." The sisters joined hands and Paige picked up the potion. They began reciting.

_"Demon who seeks souls to steal_  
_on this page let be revealed_  
_the beginning and end of your history_  
_so your name will no more be a mystery."_

At the end of the recitation, Paige tipped the bottle over the blank page and let a few drops spill onto it. Words and lines appeared magically on the page, linking the demon with his descendants. Phoebe leaned over expectantly, reading the rapidly filling scroll.

"Our demon's name is Gideon, son of John and Sarah Croft."

Paige smirked. "Gideon? Not exactly the best moniker for a life-sucking demon."

Piper glared at her and turned to Phoebe. "Okay, so we have his name. Now who is his most recent descendant?"

Phoebe continued reading, her index finger moving down the scroll. "He was born in 1372. There are 600 years worth of descendants to go through. The scroll is still loading."

Derek approached, and began reading over Phoebe's shoulder. "Amazing." He said, watching the words, numbers and lines appear on the scroll. "Will you be able to locate the descendant once you find him or her?"

Piper answered. "Once we have a name we can scry for them."

"And you're sure they will help us?" Rachel asked, from Derek's side where she'd moved to also watch the scroll.

"Witches fight demons, it's what we do." replied Paige.

"The scroll is finished." exclaimed an excited Phoebe.

"So put us out of our misery, who is the descendant?" Piper demanded.

As she read the last entries on the scroll, a look of shock covered Phoebe's face.

"What is it Phoebe?" asked Paige, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Well, I think it's safe to say the descendant, or more appropriately, _descendants _will help us."

"Do we know them?" Piper.

"All but one." Phoebe. "Take a look for yourself."

Phoebe moved aside to let Piper read aloud. At the bottom of the scroll, in neat calligraphy writing were five names: Halliwell, Piper, Halliwell Phoebe, Matthews (Halliwell) Paige. and directly across from them on the scroll: Corrigan (nee Cantwell) Rachel, Corrigan Catherine.

A shocked Piper looked up from the scroll. "_We're _his descendants?"

"Yep." Replied Phoebe, turning to look at Rachel. "Along with Rachel and her daughter."

Selena was furious. Gideon should have finished with Moreau by now, and the fact that she still could not receive a vision told her that he hadn't. She stormed into her altar room and beckoned him. Moments later he he appeared.

"Why is Alex Moreau still alive?" she demanded.

Gideon sighed. "I told you the Legacy members know about me. They haven't given me an opportunity to get close to her again." Selena didn't need to know that he had Alex safely ensconsed within the amulet.

Selena paced the room feverishly. "We need a plan."

"I have a plan."

Selena paused and turned to look at him.

"I have told the Legacy members if they will free me, I will leave Alex alone."

Selena paused in her pacing, eyes and smile cold. "I cast the spell to capture you and only I can release you." Gideon smiled inwardly. Obviously Selena was not well versed in demology, and did not realize all that was needed was the blood of one of his descendants.

"I know. But while they are searching, they may be less diligent in their protection of Alex. And I will be able to move in and finished what I started."

Selena's lips curved into a maniacal grin. "You are clever, Gideon. I want to be there when you finish it. I want to watch the life leave her eyes and know she knows it was I who took it."

He cursed inwardly. That would throw a definite wrench into his plans. Or maybe not. If he played his cards the right way, it could be a way to kill two birds with one stone.

Later that evening, in her bed in one of the Legacy's many spare bedrooms, Phoebe's body tossed and turned in rhythm to her churning thoughts. Knowing that she and her sisters had dated demons was one thing, to be related to one, well… And there was the problem of the potion to vanquish Gideon, which required his blood. Paige had been hopeful the remaining hair strands would work, but the book was specific, it had to be blood, along with blood from his most recent descendants. The Haliwell sisters, Rachel and her daughter Kat.

Giving up on sleeping, Phoebe rolled onto her back and put her hands over her eyes, palms up. "How are we going to do this?" she asked the empty room. To get his blood, someone had to get close enough to Gideon to cut him. They could summon him and use a surprise attack, but that could possibly cost Alex her life. But she couldn't see another way. When he wasn't summoned, he was trapped inside the crystal…..Her hands flew from her eyes and she shot up from the pillow. That was it! She needed to find a way to get _inside _the crystal. Once there, she could use Gideon's power against him and get close enough to cut him and get her and Alex out. She leaned across the bed toward the nightstand, reaching for the pad and pencil she'd left there earlier, and hesitated a moment. The others wouldn't let her go through with it. They'd say it was too dangerous. Well then, she thought to herself, I just won't tell them. That decided, she picked up the pad and began hatching her secret plan.

The following morning, the kitchen bustled with activity. Piper moved between refrigerator, stove and cupboards like a dervish as she prepared breakfast, a show of appreciation for the Legacy's generosity in letting them stay the night. Derek, Rachel and Kristen sat together at one end of the table, animatedly discussing ideas for how to get Gideon's blood. An intrigued Kat, who had never encountered white witches, sat at the other end of the table, eagerly interrogating Paige.

"So, you guys are good witches?"

"Yep."

"And all witches are supposed to be good?"

Paige smiled. "In theory."

"So why do some of them go bad?"

"Well," Paige began, "different reasons. Some of them want more power and feel that evil is the only way they can get it. Or they feel let down by good somehow, or they get tricked into it."

Kat digested this. "So when they turn, do they become demons?"

Paige shook her head. "No, the only way to become a demon is to be born one. Witches who practice black magic are called warlocks."

Rachel, who sensed Kat might be wearing out her welcome leaned across the table. "I hope she's not driving you crazy with questions. We've had a few experiences with warlocks and Kat finds the idea of white witches a novelty."

Paige gave her a wide smile. "No problem. But now that I've answered some of your questions, you need to answer some of mine. Does anyone in your family practice the Craft?"

An uneasy glance passed between Kat and Rachel. Rachel took a sip of her coffee, set the mug back on the table and replied. "My Aunt Rebecca. She's dead now, died a few years ago. When we went back to settle her estate after the funeral, she tried to possess me and turn Kat and I into the family she wanted but never had."

Paige's eyes widened. "Wow. How did she do it?"

"She placed her spirit inside a brooch. One she made out of bone from the corpse of her long-dead lover."

"Ew." Paige replied, scrunching her nose. It was Rachel's turn to smile.

"It gets worse. When they found her, she was in bed with him. And he'd been dead for 40 years."

"Talk about true love."

Rachel gave a short laugh. "If that's what you call it."

The conversation was interrupted by the still bustling Piper. She leaned across Paige, setting plates on the table. She made a counting motion with her fingers and moved her head. "Okay, I have plates for everyone: Me, Leo, who's orbing in shortly, Derek, Rachel, Kristen, Kat, you, she pointed to Paige, and Phoebe." She glanced around the room. "Where is Phoebe?"

Paige shrugged. "Still in bed, I guess."

"I'll get her," interjected Kristen, standing up from the table. "I need to grab something from the library.

"No, its ok, Paige can grab her. She can get there faster and I don't want my breakfast going cold."

Paige sighed. "I'll be right back." She said, then orbed out of the kitchen. Piper smiled at Kat and Rachel. "You guys have anything against blueberry waffles?"

They never got the chance to respond. Paige orbed back into the room, her face a mask of concern. "She's not there."

"What do you mean she's not there?" Piper demanded.

"Her bed is empty, and I found this on the pillow." Paige held out the pad of paper. "Something was written on the page above this one." She indicated the indentations on the top page. Piper ripped the pad from her hands and squinted at the markings. Her face contorted in rage.

"Oh, no she didn't!"

Rachel leapt up and came around the table. "What?"

"You said you have security cameras right?" asked Paige.

"Yes."

"Do they cover the library?"

"Yes."

"We need to view them."

Rachel stared at her in confusion. "You think someone got through our sensors and took Phoebe?"

Paige shook her head. "But we think we know where she went."

Rachel stole a glance at the enraged Piper. "Something tells me its not anywhere good."

In the computer room, the group stood behind Derek, who sat in front of one of the computers, bringing up security camera footage from the night before.

"Here she is, in her room, writing on the pad. The time stamp says 3:45 am." He continued clicking through the various cameras around the house. "And here she is leaving her room, at 4:07 am." He followed Phoebe's form as she moved down the hall. "You're right. She went into the library." He frowned as he watched her movements. "She's opening the box with the amulet. Now she's removing the amulet from the box. She has something in her other hand. Paper, it's a piece of paper. She's reciting something…" Derek jerked back as the screen lit up with bright light. "Now she's gone." He turned to the audience at his back. Piper threw her hands up.

"I knew it! I just knew it!"

Derek stared at her, perplexed. "Knew what? What did she do?"

Paige place her hand on her sister's shoulder, in a calming gesture and looked at Derek. "She went to get some of Gideon's blood."

Derek's gaze remained perplexed for a moment, then realization flooded through him. "You mean…."

"She went into the amulet."

Everyone exchanged shocked glances. Except for Piper, who's face remained murderous. "If she gets out of there alive, I'm going to kill her."

Phoebe looked around her in amazement. She was standing in an exact replica of the Legacy House computer room she had just left, well sort of left, the only exception being the soft glow of red light. Making the assumption the rest of the house was here as well, and Alex would be in what would be her room in the actual house she quickly but quietly exited the computer room and started down the hall. Moving as silently as possible, she watched for any sign of Gideon as she headed toward Alex's room. She stopped outside the partially closed door and peeked cautiously through the narrow opening. Alex lay sleeping peacefully. Phoebe slowly pushed the door the rest of the way open and crept in. She moved toward the unconscious figure on the bed, when a voice in the hall had her nearly jumping out of her skin. She clapped her hands across her mouth to stifle a panicked squeal when the sound of footsteps followed. Her eyes darted quickly around the room, searching for somewhere to hide. The footsteps and voices grew closer. Not knowing what else to do, Phoebe dived to the floor and rolled beneath the bed. Moments later she saw the bare feet of the demon and the sandaled feet of a woman enter the room, stopping short of the bed.

"See for yourself." She heard Gideon say.

The woman's feet took a couple more steps toward the bed and Pheobe heard the creaking of springs that indicated she had sat down. This was followed by rustling, light slapping sounds and Alex moaning. Phoebe realized the woman was trying to wake her. Why?

The mystery woman gave a disgusted snort. "Take me back. I have an herbal tonic which should wake her."

"Is that wise?" Gideon asked.

The woman stood. "You dare question me?"

"Not at all." Came Gideon's cool response. "I was just wondering if it may be harmful to her, waking her with strong stimulants after she has been given such a strong sedative."

The woman gave a derisive snort. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you actually care about her."

"I care about no one but myself."

"A trait we both share. Now take me back." the woman demanded.

From her position under the bed Phoebe saw the two pairs of feet leave the room and head down the hall. She waited a couple minutes, making sure they didn't make a surprise return before she rolled out from underneath the bed. Rushing to her feet she sat next to Alex's still form on the bed. "Alex. Alex I need you to wake up right now!" She whispered fiercely, giving the unconscious woman a rough shake. Realizing that wasn't going to work for her any better than it had for the other woman, Phoebe reached into the pocket of her jeans and extracted a pellet of smelling salt. She cracked it and placed it under Alex's nose. Within seconds her hands came up in protest pushing the smelling salts away. "Alex?" Phoebe asked.

Alex's eyes fluttered open. "W-who are you?" she asked, shirking away from Phoebe.

"My name is Phoebe Haliwell and I'm working with your friends at the Legacy. You've been kidnapped by an incubus demon who has been slowly stripping you of your psychic abilities and your life. My sisters and I are witches. Good witches." She added when she saw the suspicion rise in Alex's eyes. "We can vanquish him but we need a piece of his flesh in order to do it. That's part of the reason I'm here." She reached behind her and pulled the athame from the sheath at the back of her jeans.

Alex's eyes widened. "But that was just a dream-"

"Trust me, it was no dream." Phoebe interrupted. "I can explain everything to you, but first we need to get out of here before he comes back." She resheathed the athame, grabbed a hold of Alex's hand and pulled her up from the bed. Putting her finger to her lip to indicated they needed to be quiet, Phoebe crept to the door, her right hand still holding Alex's who crept behind her.

"I don't understand." Alex said. "We're already in the house. Where are we supposed to go?"

"This isn't the real Legacy house." Phoebe explained as she led her down the hall toward the computer room. "It's a facsimilie created by the demon. We're actually inside the amulet."

Alex's head, still fuzzy from the drugs, was spinning. "He lives in the amulet?"

"He was trapped there by a dark witch, who used his powers to help increase her own."

"Selena Orsini." Alex whispered.

"They were both here before I woke you, and are planning to come back. We need to get out of here fast." Phoebe answered as they entered the computer room. She was preparing to read the spell to return them, when a voice from the doorway stopped her cold.

"Leaving so soon?"

Phoebe whirled, pulling Alex behind her. In the doorway stood Gideon, leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded and one leg crossing the other in a relaxed manner. But Phoebe could tell by the wave of power radiating from him, the demon was anything but relaxed.

"How did you get back here so fast?" She asked

"I never left."

"But the woman, she said you had to ta-"

"I can send people out of the amulet without leaving it myself. I felt you when we tried to wake Alex. Or more appropriately I felt you, your power." He moved slowly into the room. Phoebe moved back, pushing Alex with her.  
Gideon laughed. "There is no where for you to go little one."

"If you knew I was here, why didn't you stop me when you were in the bedroom?"

"Because I wanted to take care of you personally. If I had given you away while Selena was there, I would have had to turn your power over to her. Now I can keep it for myself." He moved slowly toward them, a predator confident he'd caught his prey. In that same instant, Phoebe gave Alex a violet shove backwards, releasing her hand, and rushed toward Gideon. Her leg flew up in an attempt to hit the demon with a roundhouse kick, but at the last minute he caught her leg and hurled her backward. She caught herself mid-flight, and levitated toward him, catching him with several flying kicks into his face. He stumbled backward into the wall.

Lowering herself to the floor, Phoebe backed up, yelling to Alex, "Take my hand quick!" And reached back to grab hold of the other woman. But all she caught was empty air. She turned and saw that Alex was no longer there. Before she had time to wonder where Alex had gone, a roar from the demon had her turning back toward him. He lay sprawled on the floor, grasping his arm with a look of shock and pain on his face. But what held Phoebe's shocked gaze was the sight of Alex, rising from beside him, Phoebe's athame in one hand, and a chunk of Gideon's flesh in the other. Starting the return spell, Phoebe rushed forward and grabbed hold of Alex. Gideon rose from his position on the floor and moved toward them. But just as he reached the spot where they stood, they vanished. He roared with rage.

At that same moment, in the actual computer room of the Legacy house, Phoebe's sisters and the remaining Legacy members were getting ready to use Phoebe's spell to enter the amulet, armed with the spell to vanquish Gideon, the potion, minus his flesh, and each sister armed with athames. Before they could read the spell, however, the room filled with a bright flash of light, and when it receded, Phoebe stood in it's wake, Alex next to her, a bloody chunk of flesh dripping in her hand.

Piper exploded. "Phoebe! Are you crazy? What were you thinking going in there by yourself? You could have been killed! Alex could have b-"

"Incoming demon!" Phoebe shouted, interrupting her sister's tirade. "Extremely pissed off incoming demon!"

The room filled with a bright red light, then Gideon appeared, his arm bleeding, his eyes filled with murderous rage.

"Alex, the flesh. Hurry!" Phoebe cried, thrusting Alex toward her sisters. She turned to face Gideon. His enraged eyes glowed the unholy red of the amulet and he roared.

Derek, realizing the women needed a distraction to complete the potion, lunged toward the demon. With a flick of his wrist, Gideon sent Derek flying back into a bookcase. But this distracted him long enough for Phoebe to hit him with a flying roundhouse. Swiveling mid-air before landing she shouted to her sisters. "Where's the potion?"

"Workin' on it!" Piper snapped back, stirring the flesh into the small cauldron. She looked across the table at Paige and asked. "How's the spell coming?"

"Done!" Paige replied, tossing Piper a small vial, then taking Rachel's hand. "You guys ready?"

Rachel turned to Kat, who gave a solemn nod, then back to Paige and gave her own nod. "Let's do this."

"Phoebe!" Yelled Piper. "Let's go!"

Phoebe dashed to the table next to Piper and took her hand. "The spell?" Piper thrust it into Phoebe's empty hand. Hands entwined, the women stood together. Gideon stood and snarled at them. Piper threw the potion at his feet. The glass shattered, and smoke billowed up his legs. Phoebe raised the paper with the spell and they began:

_"Demon who seeks souls to steal_  
_We your descendants your name reveal_  
_Gideon, bringer of death, spawn of hell_  
_Death now take you with this spell"_

Gideon screamed, amulet red light spilled from his eyes, mouth and pores. The smoke billowed around him like a cyclone, building in speed. Then he exploded in red light and the smoke began to fade.

Paige looked to her sisters, then Rachel and Kat. "Another perfect vanquish. Are we good or what?"

"Yeah." Phoebe agreed. "It's over."

"Not yet." Everyone turned toward the speaker. Alex stood by Derek next to the bookcase Gideon threw him into. His arm was around her shoulder and he held her close. "There is still Gideon's accomplice to deal with."

"Selena." Rachel said, looking at the sisters.

"She must have been the one he brought into the amulet." Phoebe said aloud to herself.

"Into the amulet?" Rachel asked.

"When I went in to rescue Alex, he came in with a woman. I had to hide under the bed so all I saw was her feet. She wanted him to wake her up but he couldn't. So she told him to take her back, that she had some herbal remedy that would do it."

"Okay?" said Paige. "And what does this have to do with us finding her?"

"If she was expecting to come back, she'll summon him again."

"And?"

Phoebe flashed an impatient look at Paige. "And we should find a way to enchant that amulet, so when she does, she summons us instead."

Paige's face lit up. "Ah. Very good Phoebe."

Piper turned to Derek and Alex. "Where is the amulet?"

Derek reached into his pants' pocket and tossed the necklace to Piper. She handed it to Phoebe. "Work your magic, Pheebs."

Phoebe dangled the amulet in front of her face. "Get a spell ready. We're not done vanquishing yet."

_

Selena corked the small bottle, satisfied. She had been more than irritated when she'd arrived back home and realized she had none of the potion made up. But fortunately she had all the necessary ingredients, and was now ready to return to the amulet. She smiled as thought about watching Gideon drain the life from the Moreau woman, then taking her power for herself. "Gideon, Gideon, I call thee, stand before me now!" A bright flash of red light suffused the room. When it diffused, much to her astonishment, it was not Gideon who stood before her, but Moreau, the Corrigan woman, and three women she did not recognize, but who she realized instantly were witches.

"Hello Selena. You seemed surprised to see me." Alex said.

"Y-you are unconscious, in the amulet, you cannot be here!" Selena sputtered back, shocked.

Phoebe moved forward. "She was, until I woke her and pulled her out of the amulet. I'm Phoebe by the way, Phoebe Haliwell, and these," she gestured toward Piper and Paige, "are my sisters. Perhaps you've heard of us, the Charmed Ones?"

Selena shook her head, her mouth agape.

"Oh, and if you were wondering where Gideon is, we vanquished his sorry ass." Phoebe continued. "Now we're going to vanquish yours." She turned to Alex. "You ready?"

Alex looked at Selena, an evil grin on her face. "I was born ready, sister. Let's do it."

Locking hands again, the women began to chant the spell from Rachel's Aunt Rebecca's Book of Shadows. Selena dropped the vial she held and brought her hands to her head, screaming. A black cloud engulfed her and grew darker as they chanted. Shafts of bright green light cut through the cloud and with a final agonized scream, Selena Orisini exploded into the cloud and light, which both quickly disappated.

Phoebe gave Alex's hand a squeeze and looked her in the eyes. "Now it's over."

_

_The next morning..._

"Now remember", Kat told Paige, as they walked into the library, "you promised you'd teach me to glamour."

"I always keep my promises." Paige replied. "Now remember, you promised me a hug before I leave." As she bent down Kat reached up and wrapped her arms around her neck. "And I don't want to here anymore about you practicing black magic okay?"

Kat pulled back with a smile. "Okay."

Paige walked over to her sisters, who were standing with Derek near the table.

"I don't know how to thank you." Derek was saying. "Without your help we would have lost Alex." He looked at her sitting at the table, writing down the experience in her Legacy journal. She looked up from her writing, smiling. "Hey, I'm not that easy to get rid of."

Phoebe smiled back. "Yeah, I'll bet the next warlock you tangle with will think twice before she sics an Incubus on you."

"Yo people!" Piper interrupted. "We have to go. I have a husband and son waiting, a club to run, important stuff like that."

"Okay, okay!" Paige answered, coming over and taking Piper's and Phoebe's hands.

"Don't be strangers." Derek said.

"Never." Phoebe replied. And in a sparkle of blue-white light the sisters vanished.

"Where is Rachel?" Derek asked, suddenly noticing the doctor's absence. "She didn't get to say goodbye." He spotted her by the window, cell phone to her ear.

Across the room, Rachel snapped her cell phone shut. She turned and walked toward them, a grim look on her face.

"Rachel, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I need to leave as soon as possible. A good friend of mine, a doctor whom I went to school with, just lost his daughter to suicide."

"That's terrible!" Alex replied. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I need to go alone. Thanks for the offer." She laid her hand on Alex's shoulder and gave her a sad smile. "I'm going to go pack." She leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of Alex's head and walked out of the room.

"How sad."

"Yes." Derek replied. "A young person ending their life too soon is always a tragedy. I'm sure Rachel will be a great comfort to him during this difficult time."

"At least she'll get a break from all the excitement." Alex said. "I know I ready for one."

"Yes." Derek answered. "At least she will have that."

THE END


End file.
